System and method for invoice imaging through negative confirmation process

ABSTRACT

A system for processing invoices including a front-end requisition and catalog system; a back-end procurement system; a scanner for scanning images of invoices; an image system and store for storing said scanned images and serving them to said workstation keyed to said invoice in connection with positive or negative confirmation processing of the invoice.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/815,313 filed 22, Mar. 2001 by Thomas A. Aber, Patricia A. Chauncey,Susan B. Cirulli, Glenn P. Modrack, William J. Sjostrom, and Sherry L.Wilson for System and Method for Invoice Imaging Through NegativeConfirmation Process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following U.S. patent applications, filed concurrently or otherwisecopending, are assigned to the assignee hereof and contain subjectmatter related, in certain respect, to the subject matter of the presentapplication.

Ser. No. 09/657,215, filed 7 Sep. 2000, entitled “System and Method forClustering Servers for Performance and Load Balancing”;

Ser. No. 09/657,216, filed 7 Sep. 2000, entitled “System and Method forFront End Business Logic and Validation”;

Ser. No. 09/657,217, filed 7 Sep. 2000, entitled “System and Method forData Transfer With Respect to External Applications”;

Ser. No. 09/656,037, filed 7 Sep. 2000, entitled “System and Method forProviding a Relational Database Backend”;

Ser. No. 09/656,803, filed 7 Sep. 2000, entitled “System and Method forProviding a Role Table GUI via Company Group”;

Ser. No. 09/656,967, filed 7 Sep. 2000, entitled “System and Method forPopulating HTML Forms Using Relational Database Agents”;

Ser. No. 09/657,196, filed 7 Sep. 2000, entitled “System and Method forCatalog Administration Using Supplier Provided Flat Files”;

Ser. No. 09/657,195, filed 7 Sep. 2000, entitled “System and Method forProviding an Application Navigator Client Menu Side Bar”;

Ser. No. 09/815,318, filed 22 Mar. 2001, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FORGENERATING A COMPANY GROUP USER PROFILE”;

Ser. No. 09/815,317, filed 22 Mar. 2001, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FORSYNCHRONIZING LEDGER ACCOUNTS BY COMPANY GROUP”;

Ser. No. 09/815,320, filed 22 Mar. 2001, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FORGROUPING COMPANIES ACCORDING TO ACCOUNTING SYSTEM OR RULES”;

Ser. No. 09/815,316, filed 22 Mar. 2001, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FORFRAME STORAGE OF EXECUTABLE CODE”;

Ser. No. 09/815,312, filed 22 Mar. 2001, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FORLEVERAGING PROCUREMENT ACROSS COMPANIES AND COMPANY GROUPS”; and

Ser. No. 09/798,598, filed 2 Mar. 2001, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FORMANAGING INTERNET TRADING NETWORKS”.--.

The above-identified patent applications are incorporated herein byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to invoice processing. More particularly, itrelates to a system and method for capturing and rendering invoicesviewable on the web.

BACKGROUND ART

Historically, payments of invoices are triggered by a three way match:the invoice must match the purchase order (PO) terms and conditions, andthe goods received must match those stated in quality and quantityagainst that PO. A problem occurs, particularly with respect to generalprocurement items, when such items are not tangible things which comethrough a receiving dock. In this case, it is difficult to do the threeway match. For example, services may not flow through a dock. As aresult, procurement systems have defined an “invoice not received”situation, which results in payment not being made until someone doessomething—and that initiates what is referred to as a paper chase.

Some procurement systems implement a “negative confirmation” processwhich results in payment of an invoice unless a requester submits arejection. In this process, when an invoice is received, a notificationis given to the requester alerting him to fact that the invoice will bepaid unless requester sends back a notification that it should not bepaid.

Invoices may be received via mail (paper invoices) or electronically(EDI, as IDOC invoices). In a negative confirmation system, it isimportant that invoice data be provided to a customer requester, andthis has, in the case of paper invoices, resulted in the need totransfer paper copies, and in the case of electronic invoices, paperprintouts or electronic summaries. In the case of paper copies, thisinvolves the handling of large amounts of paper with the possibility ofloss or delay adversely impacting the negative confirmation process, andin the case of electronic summaries providing information which may notbe complete and sufficiently clear for quick human processing.

Another problem with negative authorization is that, while it may workfine for low cost things, for larger (more expensive) things, the riskthat payment will be made before negative confirmation could be receivedmay be too great.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved system andmethod for processing invoices.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a system and methodfor processing invoices according to either a positive or negativeapproval process.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a system and methodfor processing both electronic and paper invoices by either a positiveor negative approval process and with electronic capture and storage ofall invoices for viewing by a customer approver.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and method for processing invoices, the method including the ofpreparing of preparing of an invoice image; storing the invoice image inan image store; keying said image to invoice data; communicating invoiceconfirmation request to an approver, the request including invoice dataand a link to the invoice image; and responsive to approver selection ofthe link, displaying the invoice image.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided acomputer program product configured to be operable for processinginvoices.

Other features and advantages of this invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description of the presently preferredembodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a high level system diagram illustrating an enterprise systemfor providing procurement services with respect to a plurality ofvendors on behalf of a plurality of company groups of related customercompanies in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a high level system diagram illustrating the LPN applicationarchitecture of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the inputs and outputs of the customerrequisition catalog (RCW) component of the architecture of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating, inter alia, the inputs and outputs ofthe enterprise EDI translator 44 of the architecture of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the inputs and outputs of theenterprise procurement system 42 of the architecture of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the inputs and outputs of theenterprise procurement hub server of the architecture of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the system and method of the inventionfor capturing and rendering invoices viewable on the web in accordancewith the preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 8-12 represent a series of screen captures illustrating the userinterface for requester processing of invoice confirmations.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, the procurement services organization of anenterprise 244 provides procurement services to a plurality of companies248, 249 organized in a plurality of company groups 241-243 with respectto a plurality of vendors 245-247.

Referring to FIG. 2, the architecture of system components administeredby enterprise 244 includes a customer requisition and catalog(ReqCatWeb, or RCW) system 40, an enterprise procurement system (SAP)42, an enterprise data interchange, or EDI translator system 44, anenterprise (LPN) hosted data warehouse 50, an enterprise procurement hubserver 52. Also illustrated in FIG. 2 are a customer requester webterminal 46 and vendors 48.

ReqCatWeb 40 is a front-end interface between the user and theprocurement system, providing access to catalogs and commodities, toorder the day-to-day items required for the business.

SAP 42 is the back-end purchasing engine of the enterprise, such as issupported by IBM, accepting the requisitions from the front-endReqCatWeb 40, and generating EDI transactions, as well as the accountingtransactions for the requisitions, etc.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) 44 is an application that interactswith suppliers by sending standardized transactions for purchase orders,receiving invoices, etc.

LPN Hosted DataWarehouse 50 is a data-warehouse facility for storing alltransactions that occur in the system; used as a tool for monitoringtransactions and gathering statistics.

Hub Server 52 is a back-end processing server for transferring databetween elements (that is, servers) of the system.

Customer ERP System 54 is a back-end purchasing system as supported bythe customer.

Referring to FIG. 3, the inputs to customer RCW system 40 fromprocurement system 42 include requisition status 41, purchase order (PO)status and contracts 43, cost centers 45, currency exchange rates 47,general ledger (G/L) accounts 49, PO history invoices 53, PO historyreceipts 55, and confirmations 56. The outputs from customer RCS system40 to procurement system 42 include requisitions 51 and positiveconfirmation responses 57.

The inputs to customer RCW system 40 from a customer requester browser46 include submit requisition, and outputs from system 40 to browser 46include approval/rejection notice 62, status display 63, andnegative/positive/INR confirmation. Notice and response data 65 isexchanged between RCW system 40 and browser 46.

Other inputs to RCW system 40 include vendor catalogs 73 from vendors245-247 via enterprise EDI translator 44, postal code validation data 74from an enterprise RCW system (not shown), and human resource extractdata 70 from enterprise hub server 52. RCW system 40 also providesapproval notices 72 and receives approve/reject data 71. ApprovalNotices go to the departmental approvers for the person creating therequisition. These can be the requester's managers (first-line,second-line, etc), as well as chemical approvers, commodity approvers,financial approvers, etc.

Referring to FIG. 4, enterprise procurement system 42 receives as inputsfrom customer RCW system 40 requisitions 51 and positive confirmationresponses 57, and provides to customer RCW system 40 requisition statusdata, purchase order status and contracts data 43, cost center data 45,currency exchange rates 47, G/L accounts 49, PO history invoices 53, POhistory receipts 55, and confirmations 56.

Inputs to procurement system 42 from hub server 52 include cost centerdata 79, and outputs to hub server 52 include BDW extracts, companyprocess control table 76, vendor master updates 77, and accountingdetail 78.

Inputs to procurement system 42 from enterprise EDI translator 44include IDOC PO acknowledgment 88, IDOC invoices 89, IDOC payment status92 and file transfer check reconstruction 93. Outputs to EDI translatorinclude IDOC PO 87, IDOC invoice rejection 90 and IDOC payments 91.

Inputs to enterprise procurement system 42 from SAP operator terminalsinclude process PO's, RFQ, and contracts data 81, create/change vendormaster data 82, invoice processing 83 (which is one input to a generalprocurement invoicing function within procurement services system 42),payment proposal data 84, and payment post and print 85. Also input toprocurement system 42 is currency exchange rate data 80 from an externalfinancial services server (not shown) via an enterprise currencyexchange rates server (not shown), and output from procurement system 42to vendors 48 are paper or fax PO documents 86.

Referring to FIG. 5, inputs to enterprise EDI translator 44 fromprocurement system 42 include IDOC PO 87 and IDOC invoice reject 90, andoutputs to SAP system 42 include IDOC PO acknowledge 88, IDOC invoice89, IDOC payments 91, IDOC payment status 92 and file transfer checkreconstruction 93.

Inputs to enterprise EDI translator 44 from vendor 48 include POacknowledge 95 and invoice 96, and outputs to vendor 48 includeelectronic purchase order 94 (as distinguished from paper or fax POs 86)and invoice reject 97. EDI translator also receives payments 32 fromsource 32 and provides payments to customer EDI translator 30. Bank 32provides cashed checks and payment status to EDI translator 44. Vendor48 provides goods shipments 35 to customer receiving 34, and receivesback goods returns 36. Vendor 48 receives paper or fax purchasingdocuments 37 from SAP 42, and provides paper invoices 38 (asdistinguished from electronic invoices 96) to enterprise accountspayable for invoice processing 83 at SAP 42.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, there is adifference between the hub server 52 and the customer ReqCatWeb 40. Hubserver 52 is where the confirmation notices are generated (negcons,poscons, item not received (inr)) and sent via e-mail to the requesters,or initiators, and the summary reports to the managers. The negativeconfirmation rejections are not handled by any of these systems, but bya note to a designated recipient, defined in a configuration file (NotesDocument), and done entirely via e-mail. Positive confirmations arehandled at the user-interface level by ReqCatWeb 40, but the recordingof the accept or reject of the positive confirmation is handled in hubserver 52, as both ReqCatWeb 40 and hub server 52 share access to thedatabase system where all the confirmation data for a given purchase isstored.

Referring to FIG. 6, enterprise procurement services hub server 52receives as inputs from procurement system 42 BDW extracts 75, companyprocess control table 76, vendor master updates 77 and accounting detail78, and provides cost centers data 79 (which it receives from customerERP system 54.) Hub server 52 provides human resource extract data 70,extracted from customer employee data 60, to customer RCW system 40.

Hub server 52 provides to customer ERP system 54 vendor master data 26,invoice detail 27, payment detail 28 and blank clearing detail data 29,and receives cost centers data 25. Customer ERP system 54 also receivesgoods receipts 66 from customer receiving 34.

Hub server 52 provides BDW extracts 58 to data warehouse 50.

The operation and inter relationships of elements of the architecture ofFIGS. 2-6 pertinent to the present invention will be described hereafterin connection with preferred and exemplary embodiments of the systemsand methods of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of theinvention, a customer requester workstation is connected via a userinterface 431 to a front-end requisition and catalog system (Req/CatWeb, or RCW) 40. RCW 40 is connected via interface 432 with procurementservices system (SAP) 42. SAP 42 is in electronic or physicalcommunication with vendor 48. An image system and store 24 is connectedto scanner 23, via interface 437 with SAP system 42, and via interface438 with workstation 438.

In operation, the system of FIG. 7 supports a process for requisitioningand purchasing commodities and for capturing invoices and storing themfor viewing on the web.

A customer requester 46 interfaces RCW 40 to prepare a purchase request,which is passed as a requisition over interface 432 to SAP 42. SAP 42prepares from the requisition a purchase order which is sent via EDI asIDOC PO 87 or as paper purchasing document 86 to vendor 48. Vendor, orsupplier, 48 fills the order and sends back an invoice, eitherelectronically as IDOC invoice 89 to SAP 42, or as paper invoice 38which is received and processed by accounts payable personnel. As isrepresented by line 436 and block 83, accounts payable personnel 22process paper invoice information to SAP 42. SAP 42 posts the invoiceback to RCW 40 which will then send an e-mail notice to user 46 that theinvoice will be paid either with (positive) or without (negative)confirmation.

As invoices are received in accounts payable 22, the paper documents aresorted and batched, and then scanned by scanner 23 into scanned imagefile 24. This scanning may be done in connection with invoice processing83 and, in either event, when processing the invoice to SAP 42, data isprovided identifying the invoice image in store 24. When posting theinvoice to RCW 40 for confirmation, the data bridged to RCW 40 by SAP 42includes unique identifiers that are specific to the invoice and arepointers to the invoice image in store 24.

Responsive to invoice and image data received from SAP 42, RCW 40prepares a confirmation notice which is sent by e-mail to customer 46.This notice includes url strings which, upon selection by requester 46,are executed to present the invoice images of the invoice from store 24at requester workstation 46.

Requester 46 is also provided a search interface in RCW 40 that allows arequester to enter criteria and have images of invoices that match thatcriteria be displayed at workstation 46. Similarly, this interface isavailable to accounts payable workstations 22 for the same purpose.

There is also allowance for financial review personnel to view invoicesbased on various criteria, including by company or company grouping, orall invoice images.

Invoices 89 received via electronic interchange data (EDI) are,preferably on a batch basis, converted into text and image files thathave the look and feel of paper invoices, and are thus user friendly, oreasily understood. As is represented by interface 437, these invoicefiles are also sent to image system and store 24 and linked withcorresponding invoice files in SAP 42 and viewable by requester 46 whenprocessing a positive or negative confirmation request.

FIGS. 8-12 represent a series of screen captures illustrating the userinterface for requester processing of invoice confirmations.

In FIG. 8, the requester is presented with a confirmations panel thatincludes buttons or tabs for selecting, inter alia, a listing of currentconfirmation notices and a search of invoice images. The buttons at thetop allow the user to view all invoice images, search for a particularinvoice image and to move forward or back between screens.

Selecting “View All” from the screen of FIG. 8 results in a display likethat of FIG. 9. To search for a particular invoice, the user clicks onthe search button and in response is presented a screen in which toenter search arguments. After entering the search arguments and clickingon the search button the user is presented with a screen like that ofFIG. 9, an example of a search for country CA, company ONCA, and invoice310000002. Upon clicking on a particular invoice in the invoice imageslist of the screen of FIG. 9, the user is presented with a screen, likethat of FIG. 10, showing the actual invoice that is associated with theselected invoice key. FIG. 11 illustrates that various zoom and fitfunctions are afforded to the user to work with the invoice image.

Advantages over the Prior Art

It is an advantage of the invention that there is provided an improvedsystem and method for processing invoices.

It is a further advantage of the invention that there is provided asystem and method for processing invoices according to either a positiveor negative approval process.

It is a further advantage of the invention that there is provided asystem and method for processing both electronic and paper invoices byeither a positive or negative approval process and with electroniccapture and storage of all invoices for viewing by a customer requester.

ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS

It will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of theinvention have been described herein for purposes of illustration,various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. In particular, it is within the scope of theinvention to provide a computer program product or program element, or aprogram storage or memory device such as a solid or fluid transmissionmedium, magnetic or optical wire, tape or disc, or the like, for storingsignals readable by a machine, for controlling the operation of acomputer according to the method of the invention and/or to structureits components in accordance with the system of the invention.

Further, each step of the method may be executed on any generalcomputer, such as an IBM System 390, AS/400, PC or the like and pursuantto one or more, or a part of one or more, program elements, modules orobjects generated from any programming language, such as C++, Java, JavaScript, Pl/1, Fortran or the like. And still further, each said step, ora file or object or the like implementing each said step, may beexecuted by special purpose hardware or a circuit module designed forthat purpose.

Accordingly, the scope of protection of this invention is limited onlyby the following claims and their equivalents.

1-11. (canceled)
 12. A method for processing invoices by having theindividual employee of an enterprise creating an original order forgoods and services that a resulting invoice should be paid or nottriggered upon a three-way match, said three-way match assuring that theinvoice matches purchase order terms and conditions, and the goods andservices received match those stated in quality and quantity againstsaid purchase order, said goods and services including goods receivedthrough a receiving dock and for which a receipt is generated, and goodsand services not received through a dock and for which a receipt is notgenerated, with invoices for selected goods and services identified aspertaining to items requiring positive confirmation, comprising thesteps of: receiving from said individual employee a requisition forgoods or services from a vendor; preparing from said requisition apurchase order and identifying said goods or services as items requiringone of positive and negative confirmation; submitting said purchaseorder to said vendor; receiving from a first vendor an invoice for saidgoods or services as an electronic invoice; receiving from a secondvendor an invoice for goods or services as a paper invoice;communicating by electronic mail a plurality of confirmation requests tosaid individual employee creating original orders for goods or services,each said request specifying that each said invoice pertains to an itemthat is subject selectively to negative confirmation and positiveconfirmation processing; and a negative confirmation processing for afirst confirmation request including advising said individual employeevia e-mail that said invoice is confirmed unless specifically notapproved by said individual employee, and a positive confirmationprocessing for a second confirmation request including advising saidindividual employee that said invoice will be confirmed upon entry bysaid individual employee of approval that invoiced goods and serviceshave been received in quality and quantity matching said purchase order.13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of: preparing aninvoice image of an invoice received for said goods or services orderedby said individual employee; storing said invoice image in an imagestore; keying said image to invoice data; preparing said invoice imagesby scanning paper invoices received from a vendor; each said requestinstructing said individual employee to log on to said enterpriseaccounting and catalog system, including said invoice data and a link tosaid invoice image.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising thestep of: preparing other of said invoice images by converting electronicinvoices received from a vendor into an image file representation havingthe look of a paper invoice.
 15. The method of claim 12, said invoiceconfirmation request further advising said individual employee to log onto a front-end requisition and catalog server to view invoices forconfirmation.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the stepresponsive to said individual employee logging on to said front-endrequisition and catalog server server of displaying a list of invoicesawaiting confirmation and responsive to user selection of a selectedinvoice, presenting images of invoices corresponding to links selectedby said individual employee.
 17. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising the steps of presenting to said individual employee aninterface for selecting images of invoices matching a selectioncriteria.
 18. A system for processing invoices by having the individualemployee creating an original order for goods or services for end use bysaid individual determine that a resulting invoice should be paid or nottriggered upon a three-way match, said three-way match assuring that theinvoice match purchase order terms and conditions, and the goods andservices received match those stated in quality and quantity againstsaid purchase order, said goods and services including goods receivedthrough a receiving dock and for which a receipt is generated, and goodsand services not received through a dock and for which a receipt is notgenerated, with invoices for selected goods and services identified aspertaining to items requiring positive confirmation, comprising: afront-end requisition and catalog system; a back-end procurementservices system; a workstation selectively receiving user entry fromsaid individual employee of a requisition request for goods or services,and receiving confirmation requests; said confirmation requestinstructing said individual employee to approve a first invoice bynegative and a second invoice by positive confirmation processing, saidnegative confirmation processing including advising said individualemployee that said invoice is confirmed unless specifically not approvedby said individual employee, and said positive confirmation processingincluding advising said individual employee that said invoice will beconfirmed upon entry by said individual employee of approval; saidfront-end requisition and catalog system selectively receiving saidrequisition requests from said workstation, forwarding said requisitionrequests to said back-end procurement services system, identifying saidgoods or services as items requiring one of positive and negativeconfirmation, and receiving confirmation requests from said back-endsystem for forwarding to said workstation; and said back-end systemselectively issuing purchase orders against said requisitions to avendor including at least one invoice as electronic invoice and anotherinvoice as a paper purchase order, receiving and processing invoiceselectronic invoices directly from said vendor and paper invoices asreceived and processed by accounts payable personnel and processingconfirmation requests to said front-end system for communication to saidworkstation for approval by said individual employee that invoiced goodsand services have been received in quality and quantity matching saidpurchase order.
 19. A program storage device readable by a machine,tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine toperform a method for processing invoices by having the individualemployee creating an original order as an end user of a commodity orservice determine that a resulting invoice should be paid or nottriggered upon a three-way match, said three-way match assuring that theinvoice match purchase order terms and conditions, and the goods andservices received match those stated in quality and quantity againstsaid purchase order, said goods and services including goods receivedthrough a receiving dock and for which a receipt is generated, and goodsand services not received through a dock and for which a receipt is notgenerated, with invoices for selected goods and services identified aspertaining to items requiring positive confirmation, said methodcomprising: receiving a plurality of invoices; communicating first andsecond invoice confirmation requests to said individual employee, eachsaid request including said invoice data for respective invoiceconfirmation requests; said individual employee processing a firstinvoice by a negative confirmation process including advising saidindividual employee via e-mail that said first invoice is confirmedunless specifically not approved by said individual employee, and saidindividual employee processing a second invoice by a positiveconfirmation process including advising said individual employee thatsaid invoice will be confirmed upon entry by said individual employee ofapproval that invoiced goods and services have been received in qualityand quantity matching said purchase order.
 20. The program storagedevice of claim 19, said method further comprising: preparing invoiceimages by scanning paper invoices received from a vendor.
 21. Theprogram storage device of claim 20, said method further comprising:preparing other of said invoice images by converting electronic invoicesreceived from a vendor into an image file representation having the lookof a paper invoice.
 22. The program storage device of claim 19, saidinvoice confirmation request advising said individual employee toprocess said confirmation as a negative confirmation or a positiveconfirmation.
 23. The program storage device of claim 22, an invoiceconfirmation request advising said individual employee to log on to afront-end requisition and catalog server to view invoices forconfirmation.
 24. The program storage device of claim 23, said methodfurther comprising responsive to said individual employee logging on tosaid front-end server of displaying a list of invoices awaitingconfirmation and responsive to selection of a selected invoice by saidindividual employee, presenting images of invoices corresponding tolinks selected by said individual employee.
 25. The program storagedevice of claim 19, said method further comprising presenting to saidindividual employee an interface for selecting images of invoicesmatching a selection criteria.